1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the current invention relate to microresonator structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microspheres are small spherical objects constructed from optical transmission material. Typically, microspheres have a diameter on the order of 10-100 micrometers. Within a concave or arcuate shaped inner surface, such as the interior of a microsphere, waves traveling along the surface decay much less than waves traveling in other directions and are known as whispering gallery waves. When light is coupled into a microsphere at an appropriate incidence angle, the light becomes whispering gallery waves that resonate within the microsphere. Microspheres that are excited with whispering gallery resonant waves may be utilized in sensing and lasing applications. However, coupling the light into the microsphere to excite whispering gallery waves in a robust and cost-effective package can be difficult.